BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

Oregon / Washington

McGregor Park Environmental Education Program

The Medford District Bureau of Land Management is pleased to offer the McGregor Park Environmental Education Program. Our mission is to provide educational opportunities for interested school and community groups wanting to learn about the natural and cultural history of the region as well as local resource management issues. Choices of topics include Salmon and the Riparian Zone, Fire Ecology, Wildlife, Botany, Native American History and Culture, and Forest Management.

Environmental education programs at McGregor Park lead participants through hands-on, interactive stations with activities and illustrative kits, interpretive hikes, and subject-specific presentations. Programs take place in a combination of outdoor and indoor settings. Participants are required to bring a sack lunch, water, and wear weather appropriate shoes and clothing. Our programs begin no earlier than 9:00 a.m. Please allow 4 hours for your day. All of our facilities are accessible.

This year through Title II funds we may have funding to pay partial reimbursement costs for school bussing. If you require help paying for school bussing, please let us know. Funding is limited.

McGregor Park is located along the Rogue-Umpqua National Scenic Byway (Highway 62) near mile marker 29, just below Lost Creek Dam. Environmental education programs begin near the front entrance of the visitor center. For more information about this program please contact Molly Allen at: 541-618-2468, FAX 541-734-4578 or e-mail Molly_Allen@blm.gov.

McGregor Park offers a unique and challenging educational environment. The success of your experience is of utmost concern to us. To take part in our program, please read and follow these important field trip requirements:

Discipline is not the responsibility of the BLM environmental educators. We will set specific ground rules at the beginning of the day, but discipline is the responsibility of the teacher and chaperones. Please provide at least one adult chaperone per every 10 students.

Our programs occur rain or shine. On rainy days, we encourage you to bring a box of plastic trash bags to use as rain ponchos for your students. Each season, our program is full to capacity. Keep in mind, if you cancel your day, you have taken away another classes opportunity to take part in this experience.

Advise and prepare group members to give BLM educators their undivided attention and respect. Remind students this is a school day and their McGregor Park environmental education day is just another type of learning environment. Students are required to maintain the same level of attention and respect as is expected of them in their regular classroom.

Please help BLM educators better interact with your students by providing nametags.

For our program to be successful, punctuality is important. Please arrive on time and make sure you allow at least 4 hours. Bathrooms are limited. Please allow students enough time to use the restroom before and after their McGregor Park Education day.

McGregor Park Environmental Education Days

To take part in our education program, teachers may choose a "focused education day" or design your own education day by choosing two of our "focused" topics.

Focused Education Days to choose from:

Salmon and the Riparian Zone

Students explore the life cycle of salmon in the Rogue River and the role the riparian zone plays in keeping salmon and our world healthy. In addition, they will learn about the relationship between beaver, salmon and the riparian zone, the significance of salmon to other species, including humans, and what is being done to protect salmon and this important environment.

Forest Management

Students will explore the complex job of managing our forests. They will learn about the lifecycle of a tree, different forest environments in southwest Oregon, noxious weeds and other threats, the importance of wildland fire, and the products that come from our forests.

Fire Ecology

Students are lead through a series of activities exploring the importance of fire in our forests. They will learn about the adaptations plants and animals have developed to survive and actually benefit from fire. Students learn how forest fires – presently and historically – are an important component in a healthy forest, where fire comes from, and what wildland firefighters are doing to manage fire in our forests.

Wonderful Wildlife

Students will explore southwest Oregon wildlife including their unique adaptations and characteristics. They will learn how certain species of wildlife help to support the health of our environment and what rare or endangered species in our region can tell us about our world.

Botany

Students learn techniques for plant identification; parts of a flower, leaf types and plant adaptations, rare plants of southwest Oregon and the threats to their survival, how seeds travel, and plant materials used by humans.

Indians of the Rogue

Students learn about the Native Americans of southwest Oregon. They will learn about their history, seasonal settlement patterns, the foods and materials they used, the use of fire as a land management tool, and where the Native American people are today.